Tell Me More
by Stars and Stripes
Summary: A series of one-shots in which Rapunzel discovers more about the outside world she never knew existed, while Flynn discovers something changing inside of him too. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Tell Me More

Rainbow

Flynn Rider sat with his head in his hands on a dying tree stump as he tried to reevaluate the situation. What he knew was that he had one goal: to retrieve the satchel with the lost princess's tiara. Yet, what was holding him back was not the village police, but a long-too sheltered girl of nearly 18 with something like 70 feet of golden hair. He actually laughed aloud at the likelihood of such a predicament, but here he was.

With impatience and because it was just a habit, he ran his fingers through his untidy brown hair, and sat up a little, now looking around for Blondie. What was her name? R..Rachel? No, that wasn't it. Well, whatever.

Just then, he saw her, swinging by her hair around a large oak tree, letting a high-pitched giggle echo through the treetops. Birds went flying in all directions at the sound. In the blink of an eye, Flynn saw her gracefully land in the green grass by his side. He couldn't help but to smile at her foolishness and radiance. Rapunzel! That's it.

"Hi, Flynn! You won't believe what I just found!" Rapunzel said. Flynn noticed that she had both of her hands held behind her back.

"Blondie, what's behind your back?" he asked, nervously. Knowing her untamed curiosity, she would pick up a scorpion, not having a clue what it was.

"These!" she answered, with a another giggle. With blinding speed, she whipped her hands in front of his face, cupping them slightly under his nose to reveal 4 bluish eggs of roughly the same size.

"Blondie! Where did you get those?"

Her expression damped slightly at his scolding tone. "Up there," she said pointing to the top of the oak tree she had recently dismounted.

"Great. Hasn't any ever told you? You never touch eggs in a nest, let alone take them out! Now the mother blue-jay may reject the eggs completely." Flynn hadn't realized how upset he was making her. "But, y'know, we could always try putting them back, right?" He knew that this was still just as bad, but there was no need to pull her down from Cloud 9, right?

"Do you think she'll mind? Oh, no. I feel terrible. Flynn, I'm so sorry. Maybe if I put them back, she won't even notice they were gone!"

"Don't apologize to me. It's not my nest you ruined," he said. Whoops, that was insensitive.

But, she wasn't listening. Rapunzel had already swung the end of her hair around a sturdy branch somewhere near the middle, then turned to me and said, "Be right back!"

Flynn rolled his eyes and watched her launch herself into the foliage. He turned to resume his seat on the tree stump when he heard her high-pitched voice let out a tiny cry. Flynn spun on his heels and saw her falling quickly to the ground.

He didn't think he had it in him, but somehow, Flynn dove, arms out-stretched, toward the girl, catching her just inches from the tips of the grass. Rapunzel opened her tightly shut eyes and the two of them were nose to nose, looking at each other in disbelief. Then, afraid that he had gotten too close, Flynn dropped her, and backed away. He scratched the back of his neck as she rubbed a bump on her head from the fall.

"Uh, you okay?" he asked lamely.

"Yeah, I think so. Thanks to you. You saved my life."

Flynn let out a nervous laugh, and scratched his neck again. "Nah, I-"

"Oh, no!" Rapunzel cried. Flynn looked up to see her on all fours, looking down at 4 completely smashed blue-jay eggs. "Now they'll never hatch!" Rapunzel covered her face in her hands, starting to cry softly.

Great, what now? Flynn couldn't help but feel awkward, yet feel a strange need to comfort her. Torn between the two, he sat down next to her on the log and lamely patted her on the shoulder.

Suddenly, the weather shifted and a sun shower began to soak their clothes to their skin.

"Hey, Blondie. Let's get out of the rain, okay?" He had to weave his arm around her waist and hoist her up to get her to move. Flynn couldn't put a name to the odd sensation he felt in his stomach when he did. He hadn't even realized she was sobbing and mumbling to herself (or maybe her little, green frog; he could never tell).

"…all my fault! I'm so stupid, so stupid…"

"Hey, hey. Don't be so hard on yourself. You didn't mean to kill those baby birds!"

This was the wrong thing to say. She sobbed harder and freed herself from his grip, running for the cave nearby. Flynn rubbed the stubble on his chin. Maybe he hadn't noticed how cynical he could be. He'd have to keep that in check for this one.

While they were in the cave, he tried to make a fire to help them dry off but it wasn't necessary. The sun shower had ended as quickly as it had begun. The sun reappeared and warmth flooded the woods again. Flynn walked into it gratefully and looked up at the clear blue sky. Just above the tree tops was a thick rainbow with every color of the spectrum visible.

"Hey, Blondie! Come look at this!" Flynn called, gesturing for her to join him.

Rapunzel looked up from behind her hands, and exited the cave to see what he was so excited about. Then, she saw it.

He didn't think it was possible that her eyes could go any wider, but she proved him wrong. Without any warning, she climbed on his back and all the way up his shoulders, balancing herself there. He staggered under her weight for a minute but caught himself by grabbing a nearby branch. "What IS it!" she asked, awe oozing in her tone.

"You mean you've never-! Right, 18 years of cruel captivity." Flynn cleared his throat. "That's a rainbow."

"A rainbow…" She giggled. He laughed too. Her happiness was infectious.

"Yeah. After the Gods send down rain because they're angry, they send down a rainbow as sort of an apology. At least every once in awhile," Flynn explained. He wasn't sure he believed this anymore, but when they told him as a kid in the orphanage, he believed it without a doubt.

"Really? WOW," Rapunzel couldn't contain her amazement. She beamed down at him, and he felt almost hypnotized for a moment.

Flynn blinked. "Sure, uh, that's what I've heard, at least."

"It's beautiful! Thank you, Flynn. You're such a wonderful friend!" Rapunzel gracefully climbed off his shoulders and hugged her briefly. Flynn didn't even have enough time to return the gesture. She danced off through the sunlight, humming blissfully to herself.

"Don't go too far, Blondie!" he called after her. What on earth was he getting himself into?


	2. Chapter 2

For one thing, this girl was definitely interesting. And different. Probably much more different than any girl Flynn Rider had encountered. She approached things differently, she treated things differently, and she reacted to things in ways you wouldn't expect. He honestly didn't know what to make of her.

Since they had made their somewhat lopsided agreement, - that is, he was definitely getting the better end of the deal – he led Rapunzel through the seemingly never-ending woods toward the village. Even though she had told him at least a dozen times, he still couldn't believe she had never – ever – been there, or how much she desperately wanted to go. After all, this was the place he was trying to run away from.

"Come on, Blondie," Flynn called over his shoulder. "We should probably find some place to eat. Are you hungry? Blondie?"

He turned to see her picking brightly colored berries from a stout bush. She cradled her collection in one arm against her torso and picked with the other hand, humming quietly to herself. "Flynn, look! They're raspberries! Mother always brings them home for stews and stuff." She smiled widely then popped three into her mouth. Mouth full, she said, "They're delicious! Try some!"

"Uh, I don't know…" Flynn said, scratching the back of his neck again. "Why should I trust you?" She stopped chewing and gazed at him with a confused expression. It was supposed to be a joke! He chortled nervously, trying to lighten the mood. "Kidding."

"Oh, okay. Here!" She didn't wait for consent before shoving four juicy raspberries into his mouth. Clearly, he was taken by surprise. Flynn choked slightly, but then chewed laboriously while the sweet taste filled his mouth.

"Mmmm, they are good. But how did you know they were raspberries, and not some poison-berries?" Flynn asked, curiously.

"Mother gets them all the time and I got used to the texture and look of them. They're great!" Rapunzel's smile widened. He laughed again because she was teaching _him_ things! The one who was forced to stay locked away in tower for 18 years was telling him about wild berries. Crazy.

Absentmindedly, Flynn continued to pluck some more berries from the bush and Rapunzel bent down lower to collect more toward the bottom. He watched her crawl on all fours to get some that were hard to reach. He shook her head at her thoroughness.

"OW!" Rapunzel screamed.

"Oh, no, what now?" Flynn bent down and saw her clutching her left big toe with both hands as blood seeped through her fingers. Her eyes were glowing with tears and he noticed that her bottom lip sort of pouted out slightly. He didn't know why, but he thought this was somehow slightly endearing. "Stub your toe?"

"Mhm," Rapunzel sobbed. Flynn sighed and ripped a piece of his shirt off of his sleeve. He wrapped the makeshift bandage around her foot. Immediately, it looked like a red flower had bloomed underneath the white cloth.

"Well, if you were wearing shoes this wouldn't have happened!" He hadn't even registered that she had been wandering in the woods barefoot. What was she thinking?

"Shoes?" Rapunzel looked puzzled. "What are shoes?"

What! She didn't know what shoes were? Flynn sat down next to her and stuck out one of his legs, showing her his leather boots. Doing a rather weak impression of Vanna White, he said, "These are shoes. Well, boots really. But, you get the point. You wear them on your feet to protect them. Why didn't you ever wear shoes?"

"I guess Mother never saw a reason for me to have them if I could never leave the tower." She frowned a little, and her forehead wrinkled slightly. Flynn couldn't help but notice, she was _cute_…

"Yeah, uh, I guess." Smooth, really smooth.

Then, her face brightened considerably at an unspoken thought that erupted in her head. "Can I wear _yours_?"

Flynn laughed out loud at her eager expression. She meant it! "I don't think your exactly my size, but – _really_?" He laughed again.

"Please, Flynn? _Please_!" she begged him, her eyes widening, expectantly.

"Okay, fine. But, only for a little bit. I need them back, y'know." Rapunzel all but flew into the air, smacking him in the face on her way up. "Ouch! Hey, watch where you're going!"

"Oops!" She giggled a little. "Sorry!" Flynn rolled his eyes and smiled at her excitement. As he peeled his tall boots off his feet, she bounced up and down next to him, obviously too impatient to wait.

"Here ya go," he said, offering them to her. Rapunzel squealed with delight and sat down on a log to wiggle into them.

He was right. She was at least four sizes smaller than he was and the tops of the boots almost passed her knees. She hiked up her periwinkle dress and began running around the forest, doing figure eights around the trees and hopping with poise from rock to rock. Flynn watched her go, noting to himself that he was going to let her keep them for the day. It was the least he could do on her birthday.


	3. Chapter 3

They walked slowly down the long, dark tunnel with the guidance of the torches that hung on the damp, cave-like walls. Sure, it was convenient that the Snuggly Duckling just happened to have an escape route when the palace guards showed up, but, still, Flynn would have liked a nicer setting. Rapunzel gathered up most of her hair in her arms to keep it from getting too wet. She was humming again, but this time she was humming the recent tune of "I've Got a Dream". Normally, this would have annoyed Flynn to the point where he wouldn't have been able to control himself, but something about her voice made him enjoy it more every time.

"Hey, Flynn?"

"Yeah, Blondie?" Flynn replied, without facing her.

"What's it like being a princess?" He was surprised by her question, and even more surprised by the fact that she thought he would know.

He chortled slightly. "I wouldn't know; I'm not a princess."

"Well, I know that, but what do you think it would be like?" she wondered aloud.

Flynn stopped and turned to face her. He studied her curious expression for a minute, weighing different responses in his mind, trying to pick the least sarcastic one. She really wasn't very good with sarcasm. "I guess it would be like a fairytale." He shook his head at his own cheesy cliché, but he was satisfied with his answer.

Rapunzel's mouth popped open slightly, and her eyebrows knitted together, clearly lost in thought. Flynn rolled his eyes and continued forward.

"Wait!" Rapunzel ran ahead of him and stopped him in his tracks. "I don't understand. What's a…fairytale?" Her eyes widened as she said the word.

Hmm, what was a fairytale? Flynn had always grown up hoping to live the life of a fairytale – or, at least Eugene Fitzherbert did – but what did that mean? "Well, it's like another way to say 'happily ever after'," he answered. Suddenly, Flynn found himself looking back into yester-year, when hopes and dreams paved the way for a young orphaned boy; back to a time when this boy wanted nothing more than to find a beautiful woman to be his wife, or to at least experience what it would be like to live in a proper family. But, perhaps the term "fairytale" meant something different for everyone. For Flynn Rider, it meant living blissfully in mountains of money and jewels and other wondrous riches on a private island. Why did that thought make him sick all of the sudden? For Eugene Fitzherbert, it meant riding of into the sunset on a handsome stallion with a beautiful princess to call his own. Flynn shook his head to clear it. How could he be such a softy?

"'Happily ever after…'." Rapunzel let the phrase play on her lips as she tried to put two and two together. "I still don't get it," she admitted.

Flynn spotted a rock near the wall and pulled her down on it. Then, he squatted down next to her. "Okay, think of it this way," Flynn began. Rapunzel leaned in, on the edge of her seat. "A beautiful girl is locked away in a tower and guarded day and night by a wicked beast…"

Rapunzel's eyes glazed over as she tried to picture the scene. She took in each word and digested it completely as he spoke them, acting like a child a story time. He grinned at the way she gave him her undivided attention.

"Now this girl has a dream; a dream she dreamt for her entire life, hoping one day it will come true…" Flynn wasn't really sure where he was getting this, but he rolled with it. "That's where Prince Charming comes in." Flynn flashed a toothy grin in her direction, doing his best to look even more handsome. Naturally, that wasn't very hard, especially when he already looked as good as he did! "This said 'Prince Charming', appears on a horse and rescues her from the tower, killing the wicked beast in the process, and charming the girl into loving him for eternity." He waved his hands animatedly, making her more intrigued with every passing second. "From that day forward, they live blissfully together without worries or sorrows. Exactly the kind of life everyone dreams for." He let his hands fall to conclude his lame outline of a classic fairytale, following with a sigh.

"WOW. I've never even thought about a 'Prince Charming' coming to rescue me from my tower! I've only dreamt of the floating lights. I guess they're my fairytale," Rapunzel mentioned. This caught him off guard. Like any other girl in the Kingdom, he expected her to admit that she had always dreamt of a handsome young man saving her from the awful imprisonment in her tower. Yet, like she always did, she surprised him with her unprecedented view on things and her haphazard thought patterns. There really wasn't anyone like her. Flynn liked that, and quite frankly, so did Eugene. "What do you think, Flynn?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah, sure." Damn it. How did she do that? He was flustered – again. How many times was that now? Whenever their eyes met, his brain seemed to get foggy and his thoughts dumb. She had her own, personal smolder! "Totally."

Rapunzel giggled, and wrapped her arms around his neck in a flurry of golden hair and purple fabric. A refreshing lavender scent filled his nose and his brain went foggy again. His muscles had gone a little stiff and only managed to pat her awkwardly on the back. When she released him, it took Flynn a minute to recover and he swayed slightly on his rock.

Flynn cleared his throat and stood up. He stretched a little, then said, "We should get moving, in case the guards are on our track."

Rapunzel nodded, stood up straight, and gave him a salute. He laughed and walked ahead of her, letting her march behind. It was quiet between them as they continued at a brisk walk down the tunnel until a muffled group of voices came from behind them. It sounded like arguing and orders. The guards. How did they find them!

"Flynn!" Rapunzel's voice called, warningly.


	4. Chapter 4

Flynn gasped for air as the undercurrent of the stream carried them along. Oxygen had never seemed so beautiful until this moment. He was so desperate to fill his lungs that he almost forgot that Rapunzel had glowing, magic hair. Glowing, MAGIC hair.

The two of them washed up on the moss bank, still coughing and spluttering. She still had her frying pan clutched in her left hand and Pascal, her frog, perched on her shoulder. Flynn was surprised to see that he made it through the disaster.

"She has hair that glows!" he couldn't control his utter disbelief.

Flynn built a fire to warm them up and dry them off while Rapunzel wrung out her hair. After she had done the best she could, she offered to heal the deep cut on his palm. To his amazement, his palm left no mark that he had ever held a gash there and the pain vanished in an instant. No wonder her mother had wanted her for her own.

When Flynn retreated to the forest to collect more firewood, he started to think. She knew about his past, and even admitted that she liked the Eugene side of him better. Inconceivable. But, Blondie wasn't very good with telling lies, that was for sure. If Rapunzel liked Eugene better, and Eugene liked Rapunzel in return, maybe it was time he showed her. Metaphorically speaking, he threw the façade of "Flynn Rider" on the ground and accepted Eugene Fitzherbert with all of his imperfection and tenderness. It was then that he realized that he was willing to change his life for a girl. Not just any girl; only Rapunzel. With the confidence of a valiant steed, he marched back to their camp. He was going to ask her to dance.

Rapunzel stood with her back to him. It was hunched slightly, and Eugene sensed there was something wrong. However, when she turned to face him, she assured him she was fine.

"Rapunzel, I have a question," Eugene started, awkwardly. Her eyes glowed in the firelight as she waited for him to continue. He cleared his throat. A tiny piece of Flynn made its way to the surface. "Well, I was just thinking that maybe it's my responsibility to show you how to properly dance before you go into town. There's going to be a big festival for the Lost Princess so there will definitely be a lot of dancing. I wouldn't want you to be lost and confused. What do you say?" Eugene was rambling; something Flynn would have never done. In fact, Flynn would have never asked a lady to dance either. "May I have this dance?"

Eugene held out his hand, hoping very much that she would take it. She looked at it for a long moment, too long for Eugene, before finally filling it with her own. He smiled. Her hand was so soft and warm, exactly what he expected it to be like, only better.

Gently, he positioned her right hand atop his left shoulder, and grasped her left hand in his right. Even more carefully, he slid his free hand around her tiny waste and drew her in closer. She looked up into his eyes, and smiled. What did that mean? Did she like the closeness? Or was she just being polite? Eugene was becoming paranoid, but he didn't let it show. "Okay, follow my lead."

He stepped delicately forward with his right foot, but she wasn't ready. "Ow!" she cried. Eugene gasped and looked down to see he had squashed her toes.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry!" Eugene apologized. "Here. Take my shoes; you might need them." He slipped them off and handed them over. She was delighted to wear them again.

"Really! Oh, thanks, Eugene!" Rapunzel hopped into them one at a time then staggered to her feet. "Now, where were we?"

A playful smile spread across his face. "At the beginning." Cliché. Again. He was full of them today. They resumed their position, and this time, Eugene told her what do to ahead of time. "First, I'm going to step forward. At the same time, you step back. Got it?"

She nodded. She bit her lip in concentration. She was so cute when she did that. Rapunzel watched his feet, trying to stay in harmony. Luckily, she was a fast learner.

"Follow my lead," Eugene said. Discreetly, he inched closer to her, attempting to shorten the space between them.

Rapunzel looked up into his eyes and her breath caught in her throat. It was funny, because he did the same thing. She was so beautiful he couldn't see how he had looked it over before. But, here she was, in his arms. And he was complacent with staying there all night. Eugene could definitely get used to this. Yup, he was used to it.

He continued to lead, and she hesitated to follow every time, still learning. Without really meaning to, Eugene twirled her in a spin which she did quite slowly. She closed her eyes and smiled. In my leather boots, she rose on her tiptoes, gently padding the moss-covered, forest floor. He couldn't contain the overwhelming emotions that coursed through his veins. It was exhilarating, like he would suddenly sprout wings and fly. Like he could run a marathon if it meant she would be at the finish line. Maybe it was her magic hair that gave off that positive energy, but he couldn't help but let it take him over.

Then the dance was over. They continued to stand there, frozen in the moment, both just happy they could share it with the other. Rapunzel giggled, and butterflies fluttered through Eugene's stomach. She cleared her throat and began to lead another dance herself.

This took him by surprise, but he let her take control of the situation. She was so different. She laughed at his expression, and sped up the step slightly. He smiled and accepted her challenge, following her easily. Never had a moment been so perfect in Eugene's life. He could do this every night as long as it was with her.

They spun and they spun and they spun until both were completely tangled in Rapunzel's golden hair. They were so close that their noses touched and he could smell her sweet breath.

A little chirruping noise and a tickling feeling up his arm let him know that Pascal was uncomfortable with this setup. He perched himself on Eugene's shoulder and did that awful tongue-in-ear thing, making him scream and jump slightly. Unfortunately, the jump was enough to tip them over and send them crashing to the ground.

The two of them rolled on top of each other, still tangled in her hair, laughing all the while. When they stopped, Rapunzel sighed and looked up into his eyes again. "Thank you, Eugene," she said. "That was great. I've never had so much fun in my whole life." And he knew she meant it.

"Me too." Her eyelids fluttered softly and she dozed off into a deep sleep. It had been a long day.

As much as every cell in his body wanted to stay tied up next to her, he felt in best to free himself and find his own rock-pillow. When he was free, he covered her in her own hair for warmth and smiled. She was perfect; exactly what Eugene was looking for. He wasn't even sure he was looking, but he had certainly found.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi. Sorry it's been a little bit since I last updated! But, well, here it is. It's a little shorter than the other ones but hope you like it (: Oh, and thank you to everyone who has reviewed, alerted or just read this story! Please, don't stop now, though. I've never gotten more than 20 reviews on a story I've written so, yeah, that'd be nice. K**

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When Eugene had awoken to the sight of the chief palace guard horse early on Blondie's birthday, he had to admit, his heart sank. But thankfully, Rapunzel was clever enough to work out a deal with him. She was too adorable to disappoint, even for animals. Who knew?

It turned out that good 'ole Maximus' appearance had been rather beneficial for the three of them. On foot, they never would have made it to the castle in time to see the floating lights, and at this point, that was not an option. Eugene just couldn't imagine letting Rapunzel down like that. With a little sweet talk and innocent coaxing by Blondie, Maximus agreed to chauffer our party into Corona. With one exception, of course: our alliance only lasts for the 24 hour span of Rapunzel's birthday.

"Great! We should probably get going. Oh, I can't wait!" Rapunzel squealed excitedly.

Eugene grinned and said, "You're probably right. Would you like some help up?" Eugene offered her his hand, but she just looked back and forth between the horse and his hand, her expression doubtful.

She muttered in a soft voice, almost to herself, "I've never ridden a horse before."

"Oh, don't worry about it. It's not as bad as it looks. Trust me," Eugene promised her, offering his hand again.

"I don't trust Flynn Rider," she said slyly.

She was difficult, to say the least. "Who's Flynn Rider? My name's Eugene Fitzherbert." It was true; he barely even knew who Flynn Rider was anymore. She had changed him in a way he hadn't been expecting at all. He was completely blindsided.

A slow smile spread across her lips. Without any further hesitation, she took his hand and he boosted her up onto Maximus' saddle. "I was hoping you would say that," she said, positioning herself atop the horse.

For a split second, the sun shone down through the trees and illuminated Rapunzel's enormous curtain of hair. She batted her long eyelashes and smiled. Eugene couldn't control himself. She was stunning. His stomach churned slightly and he had a strange impulse to touch her face. He had to blink a few times before he collected his emotions and cleared his throat. Why did he always do that!

Eugene tried to mount the horse as well but Maximus objected violently. The second he placed his foot in the stirrup, Maximus jumped in the air and turned to face him, his large eyes narrowed. "What?" Eugene said, taken aback.

The horse just turned away and snorted loudly, ignoring him completely. Naturally, Eugene tried again, but Maximus wasn't going to have it. He pressed his nose to Eugene's nose and blew out of his nostrils angrily. His animalistic fury was rather amusing, but he knew from experience he didn't want to mess with Maximus.

"C'mon, please?" Eugene pleaded.

Maximus stepped back and shook his head, his eyes closed. He even saw Pascal snigger maliciously from Rapunzel's shoulder.

Eugene scowled at the horse and Rapunzel giggled from her seat on the saddle. "Fine. If that's how it's going to be, I'll just walk then."

The arrogant horse smiled, showing his large, white teeth. Weird, he didn't know horses could smile. Maximus turned again and followed the path at a slow trot toward the village.

Already, the pace was faster than Eugene would have liked. "Hey, slow down a little!"

Maximus glanced over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow. He smirked slightly and sped up to a gallop.

"Hey! Stop! Wait up!"

Rapunzel was laughing the whole time, clutching the reigns for dear life. "Eugene, this is so much fun! I can't believe Mother never let me ride a horse before!"

"That's great, Blondie, but do you think you could tell your buddy to slow it down!" Eugene called, struggling somewhat to catch his breath.

She didn't hear him. He gave up trying to chase them through the trees and decided to rest for a second. Besides, they'd come back for him, right?

Eugene could hear her jubilant laughter echo about the forest. He was glad, at least, that she was having fun. He couldn't really stay angry at anything when she had such a positive outlook at everything. What had happened to him in these past few days? He was practically a different person, but, shockingly, he didn't care one bit.

Rapunzel's thrills of laughter came closer and closer as she steered Maximus back in his direction. How quickly she learned! "Thanks for coming back for me," he said, chuckling a little.

"You're welcome!" she replied, her face flushed with excitement. "Hop on! I convinced Max to let you join us. It wasn't easy, so be nice!" She giggled.

Maximus snorted and looked away but didn't protest when he climbed on. His slid his legs on either side of the horse and settled himself deftly behind Rapunzel, noticing their extreme proximity. He could even feel the heat radiating from the small of her back. Without really knowing what he was doing, he wove his arms around her waist. Butterflies filled him up again, and a smile penetrated his lips. He could definitely get used to this. Rapunzel just laughed again. She didn't seem to mind either.

"Come on, Max! Show me how fast you can go!" she shouted, playing with the reigns to get him to go.

Without any warning, he bolted through the trees at blinding speed, headed for the village.


	6. Chapter 6

**Short chapter again, review if you want. Kbye **

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Music filled the air, and Rapunzel twirled around, attempting to see the finished product of her hair in the thick, long braid. An entire garden of flowers was weaved into her golden locks. Thousands of stimulating smells wafted toward Eugene as the four unlikely people wandered about the town.

"Mmm, whatever that is, it smells delicious!" Rapunzel shrieked.

"Are you hungry?" Eugene asked, perhaps a little too-eagerly. He was afraid he was giving too much away in the way he spoke to her recently, or just by the way he acted. He wasn't sure he wanted to tell her how he felt – yet.

"Oh, yes, very," she admitted, biting her lip. She was overwhelmingly cute when she did that. "Why, are you?"

"A little," he offered with a smile. She smiled back. "Well, what do you want to eat? There's plenty of food to go around."

"Hmm, I don't know," she said, looking puzzled. "It all smells so good. I've never even smelt some of these smells." Her overuse of the word "smell" made him chuckle slightly. "Ooh, what's that?"

She pointed in the direction of a squash cart, with every kind of squash there was, including squash Flynn had never seen before, or at least had never stolen before. "Squash," he answered simply. "Maybe we should try something a little more…uh, good."

"How 'bout this?" She danced over to another kiosk filled with various kinds of fruits. "Or these…" She flitted around the stone-paved marketplace, her eyes sparkling with delight. "Wow, look at these!" Rapunzel had almost forgotten about him because she was so caught up in everything. Men of all ages watched her skip from place to place, a look of hunger in their eyes.

Something clicked in his head and he sprang to life. He dashed to her side and placed his hand on her shoulder. He would have liked to place it elsewhere, but again, he was still a bit shy.

"Eugene, can I get this?" she asked hopefully, holding up a cupcake with pink icing and a plump cherry on top. "Please?"

"How much for the cupcake?" he asked the salesman.

"Four gold coins," the stout man said, without taking his eyes off of Rapunzel. Eugene felt a fury flare up inside him, but ignored it. He rummaged through his pants pocket, pulling out all the change he had. Of course, he didn't have enough. He wished at least once he could do something right.

"Sorry, Blondie," he said quietly. "I don't have enough."

She pouted and lowered her eyes. Reluctantly, she replaced the cupcake and flashed a charming grin in the salesman's direction. "Bye, Eddie!"

"Oh, Miss," he said, stopping her before she went away. "You can have the cupcake, if you want it. It's only one, after all." The man handed it to her, returning the toothy smile. Unfortunately, his teeth weren't as pleasant to look at.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she said, bouncing on her toes in excitement. "Can Eugene have one, too?"

The man sized him up and frowned somewhat, but complied, never-the-less, probably to make Rapunzel happy. "Sure, kid. Go ahead."

Eugene didn't really want a cupcake, but he admired the man's generosity all the same. Something in the back of his mind told him he had most likely stolen from this gentleman at least once under his former name. He winced a smile at him and muttered, "Thanks," hoping to get out of there soon. It was lucky Rapunzel used his real name, or else this man might have known who he really was. Eugene flicked him one of his gold coins, and the man smirked. He saluted him goodbye, and the two were on their way.

"This is stupendous!" Rapunzel cried. He saw that she already had pink icing smeared across her face and half of the cupcake was gone.

He laughed out loud at her appearance and she joined in, probably unaware he was laughing at her. "You've got a little something – right there," he said, pointing at her cheek. Eugene grabbed a napkin from a nearby stand and wiped it off easily. Gently, he turned her face to the side and cleaned her other cheek. The propinquity of their faces made his breath catch in his throat. He had a weird urge to kiss her, and he would have if she hadn't been startled by a sound from somewhere behind. Why didn't he hear it?

"Look! People are dancing! Come on, let's dance, Eugene!" Rapunzel nearly screeched. She didn't turn to look back at him once she disappeared in the crowd of people.

He was so close.


	7. Chapter 7

**Supaa short chapter this time, hope you like it. Reviews are nice.**

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The sun was setting on the horizon, and Eugene knew it was almost time. He had promised Rapunzel the floating lights, and the floating lights she would get. Determined to give her the best view he could, Eugene found himself haggling with a few men for a small row boat to take out onto the lake. Rapunzel was busy feeding Maximus apples a nice man gave her for free.

"C'mon, please?" he pleaded. "Believe me, I'm not doing this for myself. It's for her. She really wants to see the lanterns tonight, and it's her birthday. Do you think you could let me borrow it for one evening? Just one? I did mention it's her birthday, right?"

One guy rolled his eyes. When he spoke, he moved his mouth in a manner so as not to be misunderstood. "NO."

Eugene pouted slightly, but turned away. No meant no. His body language suggested that he was going to let it go, but a tiny trace of Flynn Rider lingered in his veins. No, Flynn wasn't giving up that easily.

With his hands held respectfully behind his back, he made his way back over to the Rapunzel. "Hey, Eugene. Did they let you have the boat?"

"Oh, yeah. Definitely. They're just…not ready to let us use it yet," he lied with a sly smile. A stab of guilt pierced his stomach; he hated lying to her.

Maximus nudged her in the back and whined. "I'm sorry, boy. I don't have any more apples," Rapunzel said apologetically, rubbing his muzzle.

"Actually, I think I'm going to go get him some more. Why don't you and Pascal look around the shops while I'm gone?" Eugene asked.

She raised her eyebrows suspiciously – as did Maximus – but she let him go, even though she despised their separation. Now was his chance; he'd better work quickly.

The boat owners still had their eyes glued to him so he decided to start with the apples. If he was gone just long enough, maybe they would think he wasn't coming back. He let them watch him as he purchased the apples at an agonizingly slow pace until finally they cleared out. Perfect.

Flynn slid along the side of a building, hidden by the shadows, making sure no one was around. Daylight was slipping away, so fewer people would notice anything suspicious. When he was as close as the long shadows would allow him to stay under cover, he bolted to the tiny dock and swung himself underneath it. Using his fingertips and the grip of his toes to suspend himself above the water's edge, he kept himself from plain sight. He clenched the heavy bag of apples between his teeth as he tried to untie the boat from the dock with one hand.

Several times he nearly lost his hold on the splintering wood, but after a moment or so, he managed to loosen the rope and slide into the boat. He laid flat on the bottom of the vessel, hoping Rapunzel would be back before someone else caught him.

"Eugene! Eugene, where did you go?"

His heart leapt, and probably too quickly, he sat up, making the boat rock. "Over here!" he shouted, waving his arms.

Rapunzel ran over to the dock, Maximus trailing behind her and Pascal perched on her shoulder. The tiny frog narrowed its eyes at the boat, probably guessing more than Rapunzel could. "This is so cool!"

With all the grace of a swan, she leapt in next to him, hardly making the rowboat quiver. Eugene tossed Maximus the bag of apples assuring him they were fresh. He sat up a little straighter and began rowing them out into the darkening night.

Thankfully, Rapunzel had her back to the village or else she might have seen the angry boat owners running toward the dock. They shook their fists and shouted things that he couldn't hear. When she wasn't looking, Flynn shrugged and flashed his winning smile for the lot of them to see.

Sure, he knew it was wrong, but sometimes, he couldn't help it. As much as he wished it weren't so, Flynn Rider would always claim a part of who he was. He would just have to promise to never let it show again.

"Thanks, Eugene, this is wonderful."


	8. Chapter 8

**Well. It's been a really, really, REALLY long time since I've spoken with all of you, but I hope you're all still with me. (: This is a short chapter, and I think I'm only submitting one more after it - a happy one to counter this somewhat sad one. Reviews are nice ...**

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Rapunzel had only heard the word once, and until now, she didn't understand what it meant. It wasn't until right now, as she stood on the rocky bank watching Flynn sail away with the glistening crown held tightly in his hand, that she discovered how each and every syllable could cause such unbelievable pain. She recalled on that moment when she first heard the word – from her Mother. It didn't click in her brain until just this instant how awful that particular word could make someone feel.

And what was that word? – betrayal. It was incredible how much it all made sense now; how much seemed to fit together, and yet, he promised. How could he leave her here? How could he sail off into the night with that wrecked crown and just leave her all by her lonesome to a couple of thugs? He had been her loyal protector through their entire journey together and all of the sudden it was gone. Gone in the blink of an eye.

A mixture of undeniable sadness, anger and perhaps even guilt threatened to show themselves through fat tears. And she had no idea what she was going to do as the largest men she had ever laid eyes on swarmed in on her. Their fists alone were probably bigger than her entire body. The pain that consumed her was so great that it immobilized her, completely rooting her to the spot. At last, with all the strength and adrenaline she could muster, Rapunzel ran, moaning in helplessness and screaming because there was really nothing else to do.

No one could have prepared her for this level of agony, and if they ever tried, she wouldn't have believed it were possible. It was almost as though a wrecking ball had hit her in the gut and removed both the air from her lungs and the words from her mouth. She couldn't breathe and she had absolutely nothing to say.

It wasn't until she was somehow, miraculously, back into her Mother's arms, safe and secure that she uttered the words, "You were right, Mother." Mother Gothel comforted her and stroked her disheveled hair and assured her everything was alright, but it wasn't. Nothing was alright. Rapunzel's Mother had no idea what she was going through – no one could. But, because she didn't know what to say, or how to explain, she just cried and retreated willingly to the only home and safe-house she ever knew. Her tower was waiting for her, welcoming her even though she had betrayed it, along with her oh-so-forgiving Mother. She would go home and forget everything. All of the new things she discovered, all the people she met, all the EVERYTHING she encountered on her brief excursion would all have to be locked away in her memories. Including Eugene – Flynn. All gone.

Why did Mother Gothel have to be right? Why couldn't she live a life like the girls she saw in town today? I didn't seem fair, but betrayal wasn't fair was it? Life wasn't fair. It was amazing how just that one word could make her whole world shift back to the sad state it started at. It was almost a tease. A wonderful life was laid out before her – a life away from that tower – but it was yanked out from under her, and here she was, staggering upon the weak legs that had carried her this far. Everything had to have been a dream, but it seemed so real. The pain was real, no doubt.

Rapunzel squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force herself to fall asleep. Maybe she would wake up in the morning to a world where they made dictionaries that were somehow void of such a pitiful word.


	9. Chapter 9

**Well, this is the last chapter! )': Hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did! Thank you so much to all the people that reviewed/favorited/alerted this story. It meant so much! **

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The entire village had rejoiced. Every man, woman and child had flooded the streets of Corona at the news of the Lost Princess' return, dancing and singing and partying to no end. Eugene even joined in on the festivities without trying to conceal himself from the palace guards. Here, now, he was considered a hero. He had been the brave one to rescue the beloved princess from her captivity. He was even allowed to be within a foot of her without the permission of the king and queen (which is much more exciting than it sounds). Not only that, but Rapunzel had kissed him! It seemed like an enormous step for someone who had never done so before. It must have meant something.

Rapunzel, being the free spirit that she was, didn't take up the princess mentality as quickly as her parents would have liked. She, like any common villager, danced alongside others in the street barefoot and partied from sunrise to sunset. To be honest, he had never been with a girl who liked to party as much as she did. She was actually tiring him out. But, he didn't mind. In fact, he preferred it. He preferred anything that meant she was by his side.

Eugene watched her dance. He watched the sunlight shine off her bright white teeth as she flashed him a beautiful smile. He openly admitted it: he loved her. He really did. There was nothing he could think of that he didn't like about her.

An older looking man with beady eyes, clad in a very formal looking suit and holding two glasses of wine, sat down next to him on the low stone wall, interrupting his reverie. The man handed him a glass which he took gladly. He didn't say anything, he just sat there, watching Rapunzel twirl in her new dress.

He broke the silence after a minute. "Wonderful view, isn't it?"

Eugene shot him a sideways glance, a bubble of anger suddenly expanding in his chest. The man's face was grinning as he sipped his wine. Eugene softened slightly but he kept his eye fixed on the side of his face, anticipating his next remark.

"I know who you are, you know," he stated, his voice not as light. Eugene's heart sank and his anger disappeared. He took a large gulp of his wine, trying to avoid having to say anything. "The least you could have done is changed your shirt." He chuckled to himself and took another swig from his glass.

Eugene didn't respond. He just watched the man swirl the deep purple liquid around and around.

"I hear you're the one who saved her?" He looked up at Eugene, waiting for his answer. He nodded, looking away and back out onto the makeshift dance floor. "The town thanks you. And, that you asked her to marry you?" He nodded again.

"She said, no, though," Eugene said quietly.

"But, you're going to ask again." It wasn't a question. He paused before continuing. "And, do you think you deserve her? You're a thief, and she's a princess. " He glared at him.

Eugene ran his index finger along the rim of the glass, thinking. He knew he didn't deserve her. He knew he deserved to rot in that God forsaken tower Rapunzel spent 17 years of her life in for the duration of his. But, he wanted to be with her, and she wanted to be with him even if he couldn't understand it and she hadn't accepted his request for marriage. And, Eugene knew he could never deny her anything that she wanted. Really, it was better for both of them that they were together. Besides, who was he to say anything? They hardly knew each other.

"Son, I can't change her mind or what she wants, but I can tell you this: if you hurt her, you'll have to face the wrath of more than just the king and queen. The entire town will be at your throat if anything happens to her," he warned with a stern voice. The man looked back at Rapunzel, now letting a little girl try on her tiara. "You've been given a wonderful gift, Eugene. Don't screw it up."

Eugene gave a weak and nervous smile and took another sip of his drink just for something to do. He didn't know what to say.

"Here she comes. I'll leave you two alone. But, remember what I said," he advised, raising his eyebrows for emphasis. He slipped back into the crowd just as Rapunzel approached. Eugene watched him go, feeling his stomach flip and the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

Rapunzel touched him lightly on the shoulder and he spun his head around so quickly that he almost knocked himself off balance. "Hi, Eugene!" she shrieked.

"Hey, Rapunzel. You know, your dance moves never fail to impress me," he complimented. She giggled happily.

"What were you talking to my Godfather about?" Rapunzel inquired, her face scrunched up in thought.

He almost choked on his wine. It took him a minute to cough it out, and Rapunzel helped by patting him furiously on the back. But, eventually he managed to say, "Your Godfather?"

"Yeah! I met him the other day when you were still asleep in bed. His name's George. He's a very nice fellow, and he's very strong. I saw him pick up my enormous bureau this morning when I told him one of my earrings rolled under it. It's quite impressive," she added with a smile.

Eugene gulped and all the blood drained from his face. "Well, we were just, you know, talking." He rubbed the back of his neck, wanting to change the subject so badly. Thankfully, Rapunzel did.

"That's nice. Uh, Eugene, what are you drinking?" she asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

"Oh, this? It's called wine," he informed her. "Want to try some?" He held the glass up, offering it to her.

"Yes!" She lunged for the glass, and he let her take it, not wanting to spill it everywhere. She took a rather large mouthful for someone who had never consumed alcohol before. When she pulled the glass away from her lips, she smacked them together and contemplated the taste, tilting her head slightly to one side.

"Well, what do you think?" he asked, laughing a little at her intensity.

"It's kind of bitter, but I like it!" she said. "Can I have the rest?" Her bottom lip pouted out slightly and Eugene couldn't resist letting her have it.

He rolled his eyes. "Sure, you can have it. But, don't drink too much. You'll regret it tomorrow morning." He chuckled at his own joke.

She had already downed the entire glass before she said, "What did you say, Eugene?"

"Blondie!" he yelled, still laughing.

"What? It's good!" she said, shrugging her shoulders. Just then, a man walked by, holding another glass of wine and she stopped him dead in his tracks. "Excuse me, sir, can I have that?" Her pleading eyes and commanding presence made him give it up even though he was somewhat reluctant. Without even thinking about it, she finished the glass in three big gulps. Eugene stared at her, his mouth hanging open.

"Rapunzel! That's enough, no more!" He snatched the empty glass from her hand and placed it on the stone wall behind him.

He looked up to see that her eyes had become a little dazed and she swayed as she stood. Eugene caught her before she fell and gently sat her down. "Mmm, Eugene, I like wine," she whispered weakly. "Can I have some m-more, please? Please?" she begged, her eyes now closed.

"Nope. You're going to sit right here and – " he started, but his sentence was interrupted when she bounced up from the ground and stopped another passerby holding a glass of wine.

"Thanks!" she yelled at them when she had taken it from their hand, this time without asking first.

"Oh, very polite, Rapunzel," Eugene murmured, running after her to try and hide the drink.

"Eugene, why didn't you tell me about this stuff before? I feel all warm and fuzzy inside!" Rapunzel said in a sing-song voice. She had already taken a tiny sip before he was able to retrieve the glass, but when he took it, she didn't resist him. He placed the glass down and quickly turned back to steady her again. He caught her arms in a way that suggested they were about to dance and she screamed, "Of course, I'll dance with you, Eugene!"

He laughed out loud and rolled his eyes. She was a piece of work. "Remind me to never let you have more than one glass of wine ever again," he said to her as they waltzed into the crowd.

"What? What did you say, Eugene?" she yelled, trying to compensate for the noise of the town.

"I said, 'I love you'!" he yelled back, knowing very well that that wasn't what he said.

"Oh! I love you, too, Eugene!" She smiled joyfully and hugged him.

He chuckled again, and twirled her around, never taking his eyes off the beautiful flower he had somehow claimed as his.

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**Thanks again! (:**


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